I was reading my new Motor Trend and saw that Cadillac has the new GM twin turbo 3.6L V6 available in some of their 2014 models. It is rated at an SAE-certified 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 430 lb.-ft. of torque (583 Nm). It is the most powerful V-6 ever from General Motors.

I'm really thinking that GM will keep the TT 3.6 exclusive to Cadillac (at least for the duration of the first ATS generation and third gen CTS), I wouldn't rule out a TT V6 in the 7th gen Camaro (assuming a 7th gen happens).

All that said, I wouldn't mind seeing a TT V6 Camaro to slot between the regular V6 and the V8 models. I think it would expand the Camaro market a great deal.

Here's the thing, the LF3 (I think that's the name for it) returns MPG on par or less than the LT1 V8. They produce similar HP numbers as well with the V8 having the slight edge. The V8 is much less complex, which means it costs less, and it is more reliable. With that in mind, I don't see this engine touching the Camaro. Chevy HAS to offer this car with a V8, but they don't have to offer it with a TT V6, since part of their customer base looks for a SB V8. Personally, I think this engine was created to allow similar V8 hp numbers, yet have a more refined engine for the luxury market. A pushrod small block chevy is certainly not refined for a luxury market, so they made the LF3.

Here's the thing, the LF3 (I think that's the name for it) returns MPG on par or less than the LT1 V8. They produce similar HP numbers as well with the V8 having the slight edge. The V8 is much less complex, which means it costs less, and it is more reliable. With that in mind, I don't see this engine touching the Camaro.

Good reasons not to put it in the Camaro....just as good of reasons not to put it in the Cadillac as well, yet here we are. I don't get the refinement angle in the Cadillac. How is a 60 degree V6 smoother and more refined than a V8?

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"Proven V-8 power with better efficiency than a turbo V-6"

"The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive."eds.

Good reasons not to put it in the Camaro....just as good of reasons not to put it in the Cadillac as well, yet here we are. I don't get the refinement angle in the Cadillac. How is a 60 degree V6 smoother and more refined than a V8?

A DOHC V6 is smoother than a pushrod anything. Sit in a V8 Camaro at idle, and then go sit in a Mercedes V6 at idle. There is a complete difference. The Camaro is louder, and it shakes due to the cam. Of course, if you buy a V8 Camaro, you like these things. If you're buying a cadillac, you won't like these things. Caddy is trying to be more European, and it can't do that with a small block.

A DOHC V6 is smoother than a pushrod anything. Sit in a V8 Camaro at idle, and then go sit in a Mercedes V6 at idle. There is a complete difference. The Camaro is louder, and it shakes due to the cam. Of course, if you buy a V8 Camaro, you like these things. If you're buying a cadillac, you won't like these things. Caddy is trying to be more European, and it can't do that with a small block.

A DOHC V6 is smoother than a pushrod anything. Sit in a V8 Camaro at idle, and then go sit in a Mercedes V6 at idle. There is a complete difference. The Camaro is louder, and it shakes due to the cam. Of course, if you buy a V8 Camaro, you like these things. If you're buying a cadillac, you won't like these things. Caddy is trying to be more European, and it can't do that with a small block.

Sounds reasonable. The TT would likely be priced as the V8. If I wanted a 6 banger I'd have kept my SGM RS and worked with that insyead of dropping another 20 grand on my SS. For those of us who lived when 4 barrel V8 was common and dirt cheap I might add nothing compars to a crammed up 8 cylinder beast with a deep exhaust note.

A DOHC V6 is smoother than a pushrod anything. Sit in a V8 Camaro at idle, and then go sit in a Mercedes V6 at idle. There is a complete difference. The Camaro is louder, and it shakes due to the cam. Of course, if you buy a V8 Camaro, you like these things. If you're buying a cadillac, you won't like these things. Caddy is trying to be more European, and it can't do that with a small block.

I don't fully agree. A V6 is inherently rougher than a V8 all other things the same, pushrod or not. In a V6 luxury car, they just put more into things like engine mounts to insulate the rest of the car from the engine. The engine isn't necessarily smoother, the vibration just doesn't get transmitted as much. And the somewhat shakier idle of a higher performance engine has more to do with the cam profile, not the position of it on the engine. And besides, the LT1's VVT will probably mitigate a lot of the "shake" (to the extent it exists) the LS3 has at idle.

I've experienced a lot of reasonably smooth pushrod engines, while at the same time, there have been some notably rough, unrefined DOHC V6 designs. Either can be made very smooth and refined or not so depending on factors having nothing to do with where their cams are placed.

If GM feels it needs both a V8 and DOHC to be competitive in all its various segments, why not build a DOHC V8 like Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes, and Audi all do. Wouldn't one engine be more cost effective than 2? Don't get me wrong, I love GM's pushrod V8s (as they do have certain advantages over DOHC), but I am still just as happy overall with my DOHC one, too.

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"Proven V-8 power with better efficiency than a turbo V-6"

"The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive."eds.

If GM feels it needs both a V8 and DOHC to be competitive in all its various segments, why not build a DOHC V8 like Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes, and Audi all do. Wouldn't one engine be more cost effective than 2? Don't get me wrong, I love GM's pushrod V8s (as they do have certain advantages over DOHC), but I am still just as happy overall with my DOHC one, too.

Well, GM did make DOHC V8s for many years (i.e., the Northstar line in Cadillacs, as well as a few Oldsmobiles & Buicks). For whatever reasons, the Northstar program was ditched.

Of course, one of the best DOHC V8s that GM ever sold was the one in the 1990ish Corvette ZR1. That engine was assembled by Mercury Marine rather than GM, though.

Bottom line... at this point in time in the GM world, it's a DOHC V6 or a pushrod V8. Take your pick.

With the push toward fuel economy, it wouldn't surprise me if GM never sold another DOHC V8. But who knows...

I don't fully agree. A V6 is inherently rougher than a V8 all other things the same, pushrod or not. In a V6 luxury car, they just put more into things like engine mounts to insulate the rest of the car from the engine. The engine isn't necessarily smoother, the vibration just doesn't get transmitted as much. And the somewhat shakier idle of a higher performance engine has more to do with the cam profile, not the position of it on the engine. And besides, the LT1's VVT will probably mitigate a lot of the "shake" (to the extent it exists) the LS3 has at idle.

I've experienced a lot of reasonably smooth pushrod engines, while at the same time, there have been some notably rough, unrefined DOHC V6 designs. Either can be made very smooth and refined or not so depending on factors having nothing to do with where their cams are placed.

If GM feels it needs both a V8 and DOHC to be competitive in all its various segments, why not build a DOHC V8 like Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes, and Audi all do. Wouldn't one engine be more cost effective than 2? Don't get me wrong, I love GM's pushrod V8s (as they do have certain advantages over DOHC), but I am still just as happy overall with my DOHC one, too.

They did. The Northstar V8 line was an OHC family of engines, but GM cut it in 2010. The point that I'm trying to get across is that if you want to get 400+ HP out of a small block, it won't be as smooth as a DOHC V6 with turbos. Plus, the snobby import drivers wouldn't want to drive around with pushrods under the hood. If you look at the CTS segment, you see that the top models are all powered by turbo 6 cylinders. Caddy followed the rest of the segment, and blew them away with an excellent engine.

A V6 is inherently rougher than a V8 all other things the same, pushrod or not. In a V6 luxury car, they just put more into things like engine mounts to insulate the rest of the car from the engine. The engine isn't necessarily smoother, the vibration just doesn't get transmitted as much.

Yes, it is inherently hard to balance a 60* V6 than a 90* V8. Luxury car companies just puts a lot of money into reducing the vibrations...money GM is just starting to invest. It will always be more expensive to get the V6 to run as smoothly as the V8, push-rod or not. With new technologies for block casting, piston/rod production, we are seeing some of that cost offset in other areas when there are fewer cylinders. I-6 engines, however, do balance very easily.

Irregardless of the pros and cons of a TTV6 or N/A V8, GM will put a V8 in the Camaro for the simple reason that Camaro owners would rather have a V8 than a 6. It's all about sales. I know 95% of the current V8 owners would rather see a V8. Hell, I'm on my 5th Camaro and I'd go buy a Ford or Dodge with a V8 before I buy a Chevy with a 6!!!

Irregardless of the pros and cons of a TTV6 or N/A V8, GM will put a V8 in the Camaro for the simple reason that Camaro owners would rather have a V8 than a 6. It's all about sales. I know 95% of the current V8 owners would rather see a V8. Hell, I'm on my 5th Camaro and I'd go buy a Ford or Dodge with a V8 before I buy a Chevy with a 6!!!

I believe Car and Driver also mentioned the TT V6 may end up in a new version of the Buick Grand National.
Wondering if that would be based on the Alpha platform as well?

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My love is in league with the freeway. Its passion will ride, as the cities fly by, and the tail-lights dissolve in the coming of night. And the questions in thousands take flight~Robert Plant - Big Log~

Plus, the snobby import drivers wouldn't want to drive around with pushrods under the hood. If you look at the CTS segment, you see that the top models are all powered by turbo 6 cylinders. Caddy followed the rest of the segment, and blew them away with an excellent engine.

So in other words, it doesn't matter whether the Cadillac engine is better than the Chevy engine or not...what's important is whether it can be marketed with more expensive sounding words or not? Or put another way, luxury car buyers will pay more for not necessarily a better product, but rather for the privilege of paying more just so they can prove that they can pay more?

I'm being facetious and joking around there, but I think there may be at least some small grain of truth in there somewhere. Reason I got a bit of a laugh out of this is Angus MacKenzie basically said the same thing in his editorial on the last page of MT last month (May 2013 issue for anyone who cares to look it up). Your comment immediately made me think of that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GretchenGotGrowl

In the global market there is a big benefit to using the LF3. Lower taxes in Europe.

That statement and the implications behind it was sad for me to read, mostly because I know it is accurate.

Have we really gotten to the point where European tax policy is dictating product engineering and availability here? After fighting a war way back when so we would no longer have to concern ourselves with which direction the European elite decided to fart on any given day, do we once again find ourselves in a position where that affects us? Have we been forced to cede pursing what we want, and instead accept only what an aristocracy an ocean away wants and allows us to have? That the answer may well be "yes" should make us all stop and think.

__________________

"Proven V-8 power with better efficiency than a turbo V-6"

"The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive."eds.

So in other words, it doesn't matter whether the Cadillac engine is better than the Chevy engine or not...what's important is whether it can be marketed with more expensive sounding words or not? Or put another way, luxury car buyers will pay more for not necessarily a better product, but rather for the privilege of paying more just so they can prove that they can pay more?

I'm being facetious and joking around there, but I think there may be at least some small grain of truth in there somewhere. Reason I got a bit of a laugh out of this is Angus MacKenzie basically said the same thing in his editorial on the last page of MT last month (May 2013 issue for anyone who cares to look it up). Your comment immediately made me think of that.

That statement and the implications behind it was sad for me to read, mostly because I know it is accurate.

Have we really gotten to the point where European tax policy is dictating product engineering and availability here? After fighting a war way back when so we would no longer have to concern ourselves with which direction the European elite decided to fart on any given day, do we once again find ourselves in a position where that affects us? Have we been forced to cede pursing what, and instead accept only what an aristocracy an ocean away wants and allows us to have? That the answer may well be "yes" should make us all stop and think.

That's EXACTLY what I was going for Angus is great. It is BS that the global market is affecting our market. I can understand why they would do it for economy cars, but keep it away from true American cars.

So in other words, it doesn't matter whether the Cadillac engine is better than the Chevy engine or not...what's important is whether it can be marketed with more expensive sounding words or not? Or put another way, luxury car buyers will pay more for not necessarily a better product, but rather for the privilege of paying more just so they can prove that they can pay more?

I'm being facetious and joking around there, but I think there may be at least some small grain of truth in there somewhere. Reason I got a bit of a laugh out of this is Angus MacKenzie basically said the same thing in his editorial on the last page of MT last month (May 2013 issue for anyone who cares to look it up). Your comment immediately made me think of that.

That statement and the implications behind it was sad for me to read, mostly because I know it is accurate.

Have we really gotten to the point where European tax policy is dictating product engineering and availability here? After fighting a war way back when so we would no longer have to concern ourselves with which direction the European elite decided to fart on any given day, do we once again find ourselves in a position where that affects us? Have we been forced to cede pursing what, and instead accept only what an aristocracy an ocean away wants and allows us to have? That the answer may well be "yes" should make us all stop and think.

Nope.

Like many, I won't believe the LF3 will be in a US Camaro until GM announces it.

I personally don't think GM would ever do this. Main reason being that it would hurt their V8 sales and the HP/TQ numbers would be too close to the SS. Furthermore if someone was looking for that increase in HP why wouldn't they just look to the naturally aspirated V8 anyhow. No offense to the V6 owners but the Camaro is meant to be driven with power; V8 all the way baybay!